Taiwan’s Future? PRC Taiwan Affairs Office: To Be Decided By All Chinese People/span>

Several days ago, Mayor of Tainan and DPP party member William Lai said in an interview that “the future of Taiwan shall be collectively decided by the island’s 23 million citizens.” During a routine press conference of the PRC’s Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council this morning, spokesperson Fan Liqing responded: “Any issue touching upon Chinese sovereignty and territorial integrity must by collectively decided by all Chinese people including our Taiwan compatriots.” Fan also reiterated China’s firm stance against Taiwanese independence.

As Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported, Fan Liqing stated: “Our stance towards DPP policies has been unequivocal and consistent. Our stance against Taiwan Independence and splittist plots is resolute and unwavering.” She also reaffirmed that any Taiwanese person, regardless of their positions in the past, is welcome to visit the Mainland as long as they presently approve of and support the peaceful development of cross-strait relations.

Additionally, in response to recent news that talks regarding the Cross-strait Services and Trade Pact (CSSTA) have broken off, Fan Liqing indicated that this information was “inaccurate” and that the Mainland has not changed its attitude towards the promotion of relevant follow-up agreements to the ECFA [Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement that opened direct channels of trade between Mainland China and Taiwan].

Xinhua News Net reported that in light of Taiwan’s current drafting of the new “cross-strait agreement supervisory ordinances”, Fan Liqing stated in response that if Pro-Taiwanese Independence forces want to use the ordinances to push forward a pro-Taiwanese Independence positions of there being “two states” and “separate countries on each side of the strait” thereby damaging cross-strait talks and the peaceful development of cross-strait relations, the Mainland firmly opposes this. (Mainland News Centre/Foreign News Report)